Track and hanger for sliding doors.



W. WOLFE. TRACK AND HANGER FOR SLIDING DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. 19:8.

1,294,589., Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

cums Pnsns co. rnmumo wAsmNcro! "ourrnn snares PATENT ion.

. WILLIAM WOLFE, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

TRACK AND HANGER FOB. SLIDING DOORS.

subjecting the hanger to injurious strain, the

construction of the track and hanger being such that the door cannot be accidentally derailed when swung outwardly.

The invention is embodied in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the track member.

Fig. 2 is a perspective viewof the hanger.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing the track member attached to the side of a car, and the hanger attached to a door.

Fig. 4'is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the door'swung outwardly from the. side of the car. V

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modified form of the back portion of the track member. 1

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

In carryingout my invention, I provide a channeled track member comprising a back 12 attachable as by bolts 13 to the side 14; of a freight car above a door way, a track web 15 projecting from the lower edge of the back 12 and having a wide substantially horizontal traction face and an upstanding guard flange 16, at the outer edge of said face, a covering web 17 projecting fronrthe 'upper edge of the back 12, a flange 18 projecting downwardly from the outer edge of the covering web 17, and'having a substantially vertical thrust-bearing inner face. The guard rib 16 and the thrust-bearing flange 18 are separated by a mouth 19 extending lengthwise of the track member.

The track member may be either formed as a; single part from wrought iron or steel, or it may be termed. in twoparts, the hack Specification of Letters Patent.

member being composed of two abutting sections 12, one overlapping the other, and the said sections being united by the attaching bolts 13, as shown by Fig. 5.

The door hanger comprises a shank, preferably formed as a malleable iron casting, and including a base portion 20, attachable as by bolts 21 to adoor 22, a head portion 23, movable in the channel of the track member and provided with a horizontal journal 24, and with a vertical journal 25, and an angular neck composed of an upright portion or arm 26, and a lateral arm 26 connecting the base portion 20 with the head portion 23, and formed to enter the mouth 19, a weightsupporting wheel 27, rotatable on the horizontal journal 24: and contacting with the traction face of the track web 15, and a thrust-bearing wheel 28 rotatable on the vertical journal 25 and normally contacting with the thrust-bearing face of the flange 18. The periphery of the weight-supporting wheel 27 is considerably narrower than the traction face of the track web 15, and the periphery of the thrust-bearing wheel 28 is separable from the thrust-bearing face of the flange 18.

The relative arrangement of the described parts is such that when the door is upright. theweight-supporting wheel 27 is in rolling contact with the inner portion of the track web 15, and the thrust-bearing wheel 28 is in rolling contact with the flange 18. The door is usually confined in an upright position by suitable guards, not shown, overhanging its lower edge. It sometimes happens that said guards are rendered inoperative by break age, or otherwise, so that the door is free to swing outwardly from the side of the car. When the door swings outwardly, the wheel 27 slips laterally on the track web 15 until it encounters the guard flange 16. as shown by Fig. 4, said flange preventing the derailment of the hanger. The diameter of the thrustbearing wheel 28 is such that when the door is inclined outwardly, said wheel is free to be separated from the flange 18 and moved toward the back 12. It will be seen. therefore. that a considerable outward inclination of the door is permitted, without liability of derailing the door, and without possibility of straining and breaking the hanger. It will be understood, of course, that two of the gescribed hangers will be provided for each oor.

The track member may be provided with Patented Feb. 18, 1919. Application filed October 29, 1918. Serial No. 260,219.

shield to exclude rain from the mouth 19, said shield comprising a substantially horizontal flange 30, exteiid'ii'ig outwardly from the lower edge of the thrust-bearing. flange 18, and an upright plate 31 attached to the outer portion of the flange 30 and projecting downwardly therefrom below the lower edge of the mouth 19, said plate being olfset by the flange 30 from the track member to permit an outward inclination of the hanger without contact with the plate, as shown by Fig. 4c.

The elbow-shaped arm 26, 26 of the lower edge of the back and having awide substantially horizontal traction face and a guard flange at the outer edge of said face, a covering we'b projecting from the upper edge of the back, and a flange projecting downwardly from the outer edge of the cot ering web and having a substantially "ertical thrust-bearing inner face, said guard rib and thrust-bearing flange being scpa ated by a mouth extending lengthwise of the track member, and door hanger comprising a shank which includes a base portion attachable to a door, a head portion movable in the channel of the track member, and provided with a h'oriiontal axle and a vertical axle, and an elbow-shaped neck con necting said base and head p'ortlonsaiid formed to enter said month, a wei ht-supporting wheel rotatable on said horizontal axle and contacting with said traction face,- and a thrust-bearing wheel rotatable on said vertical axle and normally contacting with said thrust-bearing face, the periphery of the weight-supporting wheel being narrower than said traction face, and the periphery of the thrust-bearing wheel being separable from the thrust-bearing face, whereby an outward inclination of the door and hanger is permitted without injurious strain on the hanger, the said guard flange preventing derailment of the hanger when the door is in clined.

2. A door hanger eomp'rlsnig a shank which includes a base attachable to a door;

an elboxv-shaped neck composed of an up right arm projecting upwardly from the base, and a lateral arm projecting inwardly from the upright arm and adapted to ex tend through the mouth of a channeled track member, and to overhang the" upper edge of a door to which the shank attached, and a head projecting upwardly from the lateral arm, and movable in the channel of said track member, said head riphery of the \veight-supporting when;

\Yhereby said wheelie adapted to slip laterally on said traenen face and thus permit a sidewise inclination of the door and the separation of the thru'st-b'eariiig wheel from the thrust-bearing fat-e of the trackmeinibei'.

In testimony whereof I have afliked signature.

WILLIAM WOLFE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of reams,

Washington, I). e. 

